


King to start

by LeeKurakan



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Altean lance, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-29
Updated: 2019-01-12
Packaged: 2019-09-30 02:43:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17215502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeeKurakan/pseuds/LeeKurakan
Summary: Those marks won't stop burning, and Lance's head won't stop pounding. The drums are sounding, Altea needs a king, and Lance just happens to fit the bill





	1. The burning

 

 

Words couldn’t describe this feeling, it couldn’t be true. Lance hated the thought that it could possibly be true. Gone she’d be gone. He could see her walking down the row, drawing ever close to him. Goodbye was not something he wanted to hear, her white hair shone in the darkness. She was so beautiful it made him want to cherish her even more.

Then she was before him, their hands grasped together, and all Lance could think to say was. “No. Allura there… There has to be another way”, but he knew there wasn’t, he just he wanted to hear her say it.

“There is no other way. This is all we have” she breathed, voice nearly breaking, as she struggled to hold back tears.

“But you’re too important to the cause you’re… you’re too important to me” he stuttered tears streaming down his tanned skin.

“I’ll always be with you, Lance. And I’ll always love you, but” she took deep breath, collecting what she had to say. “Move on”. Her eyes darted towards the mullet headed boy, called Keith. “Someone else is in love with you”. Lance nearly choked, the notion was something that would usually have made him laugh, but he didn’t want to doubt any of her words.

 “You and him will make great kings of Altea” then she cupped his cheeks, bringing his head down, so she could kiss him lightly on the forehead. “For his love for you, is stronger then mine could ever have been”. Then they appeared in a breath of blinding light, the blue arrowhead markings that would forever more brand his cheeks. Marks that belonged to only Altean’s, but had somehow appeared on him. Almost as if they had been there all along.

Then she was gone, leaving them all alone in the abyss.

 In a flash too, many things happened, the multiverse shifted and they were flung back into their own universe, floating slightly away from the Atlas. Tears streaming down each of the Paladins cheeks.

Breaths that were so quiet as they boarded the white ship. Then Lance who pounded his fists against the walls, collapsing in terrifying sadness. Almost a few seconds after the gravity came back to them, he fell to the floor, hands too his head. Screams of terror resonating from his lungs. He lay upon the floor shaking in a way unbefitting the lover boy sharpshooter.

 Everyone was dumbstruck, but they knew tried their best to know why. Time would do him good was the unanimous vote, so they left him in his room, only bringing food and drinks every so often. So he was left alone for weeks, while the ship travelled forward, without Allura there was no way to warp.  It didn’t take then more then a few seconds to see it though. The two planets that hadn’t been their before. Altea, and Daibazaal, alive and well, it was a miracle unlike any other.

The ship which surely should have been full of victorious noise was remarkably quiet, that was for everywhere near Lance’s door, that room had a twenty-foot dead zone that no one dared to enter, for fear of hearing the boy’s nightmarish screams. No one bothered to talk to him, for all they thought was he needed time.

So, he spent a whole week, barely eating, barely sleeping, just shaking, crying and screaming. Every time he tried to sleep nightmares woke him, nightmares not of her death but, of voice that pounded into his head, and a burning in his cheeks that as of yet held no explanation. Sadly, that room had no mirror, he looked at. Every time, he dared bring a spoon of food goo to his mouth, he found him throwing up violently, into the toilet. He wanted to move on, he wanted to summon his strength and live for her. Live his life to the fullest as he would want.

It was Keith who went to Lance first, he didn’t talk to him. No, he sat down, and all he did was put his arm around the boy. Lance cried into Keith’s shoulder for hours, just safe in the arms of someone he’d never thought of as more than a friend.  But his head soon slipped into Keith’s lap, his eyes ever so slowly beginning to drift shut.

He kept waking himself to see if Keith had perhaps left, but he never did. A single arm found itself rested over the boy Lance, acting almost like an extra blanket. The one he had wasn’t doing much for warmth, what with it being thoroughly tear-stained. Keith might have found it funny to see the person below him looking quite like a little child, but no laughter found itself in his heart. Eventually both boys found themselves falling asleep.

It was the first time Lance slept nightmare free. In fact, he had not a single dream, he just slept, nothing on his mind. The pounding in his head had found a way to stop itself.

Keith woke first, admiring the boy in his lap. “They are really there!” he said, stroking the blue marks that adorned Lances cheeks. “I didn’t believe it, Coran will want to see-” Lance shuffled slightly nuzzling into Keith’s shirt. That slight movement culled Keith’s talking aloud. Still it didn’t stop Keith wondering about those marks, and what they could possibly mean, he would have to tell Coran all about them.

Over those next few hours where Lance still slept, Keith barely moved, but he found himself playing with Lance’s short dark brown hair, in a futile attempt to entertain himself. When Lance did stir though, he didn’t notice at first. For Lanced didn’t move instead he just lay there allowing his hair to be played with.

“Lance” said Keith, softly. “Are you awake?”. No reply. He paused for a moment, thinking slightly, hand hovering over the paladin’s head, scared to continue touching his hair. “You don’t have to speak just nod”. No reply, yet Keith waited patiently, and then came a slight nod. “Okay then” a smile split across his face. “I’m going to tell you what happened this week. If you want me stop just” he thought again. “Signal or something”.

He tried to compose what to say, trying to skip over anything that might upset Lance. “I helped Colleen yesterday, I don’t usually find plants interesting but somehow she put my clumsy hands to work. You should see the plants in bloom, she even let me pick some of the fresh berries, I probably shouldn’t have eaten them raw” he laughed, choking on the memory.

“I think I’ll visit her more often, what with Pidge, who got dragged along. I swear she’s even worse than me, I can’t tell you how many plants she may have killed. Honestly, I think she may have done it on purpose to convince her mum to let her escape, that place. But I found it somewhat fun. Some of those plants are quite odd”. He looked down hoping for a response but nothing came.

“I know what you’re thinking, and you’re right, me and plants don’t get on. Still even you can’t deny some of them are so fascinating”. So Keith spoke and spoke, leaving out any detail that could cause a break down, anything that was crucial for Lance to know. The only thing that broke that slight bliss, was Keith whose stomach growled, telling him he should probably get something to eat. Lance’s belly had stopped growling days ago when it gave up the hope of eating.

“I won’t leave if you don’t want me too” he said. But Lance lifted himself up to allow Keith’s route to escape. Some part of Keith knew he shouldn’t leave, and he knew he didn’t want to.

Yet he left anyway.

The halls were dull with night lights, it made him wonder how long he possibly could have been in that room. A quick check of his watch sent his head spinning, little over a day. People must have been wondering where he was. He walked the dark corridors, till he found himself to the only room with the lights still on.

As he walked his mind found itself thinking of Lance and his hollowed-out cheeks. Of his ribcage that pierced through his shirt, and most importantly the Altean markings.

Luckily the kitchen lights were still on, and inside was Hunk, frantically baking various things, but when he saw Keith he stopped. A curious look on his dark brown eyes.

“So,” he breathed, looking intensely at the black-haired boy before him. “Where have you been all day?”. Keith gulped slightly, fully entering the room and taking a seat on a bar stool, that seemed to be placed there entirely for this purpose. “Talk, I’ll get you something to eat”. Hunk turned, bustling through the fridge to find something quick to make.

“I was with Lance”.

Squish! Hunk dropped the loaf of bread he’d been reaching for. His mouth agape.

“Is he okay!” screeched Hunk, forgetting that it was the middle of the night.

“I, I” Keith didn’t know how to put it into words. “His cheeks are blue” no that didn’t make sense. “He’s allur-“no that didn’t make sense either. “I need to see Coran” but then a yawn crept its way up his throat stopping him from saying anything more.

“Well let me maybe-“

In burst Pidge, bayard raised, green pyjamas slipping of one of her shoulders. Her eyes were half-lidded and her hair was unruly. “What was it?!” she shouted, pointing her bayard around.


	2. Thoughts

Chapter Two

 

“Oh Keith, back from your rendezvous” she said a wave of calm washing over her round face. “Haven’t heard any screaming in the past 24 hours, guess you did your job”.

“You knew!” yelped Hunk, staring at Pidge who was now grabbing something from the fridge.

“Of course Keith wants to make Lance his Husband this was only a matter of time”. She turned to him waggling her fingers. “So how was the make out session anyway?”.

“That wasn’t what we did”. Pidge only hummed, waving slightly as she left to go back to bed. Hunk turned to Keith, lost. Keith blushed slightly before speed-walking away, mutters of ‘Coran’ on his lips.

Hunk was very confused, but he brushed it off going back to his cooking. Keith on the other hand, spent nearly ten minutes trying to subsidize his blushing cheeks. Before he collapsed on his bed, falling into a stupor.

Surprisingly he didn’t sleep very long, because the moustached man, Coran was shaking him awake. It wasn’t the most enjoyable way to be woken to say the least, but it did the job. Of course, Keith being who he was, reacted on instinct punching the old man right in the nose, sending him reeling backwards.

“What was that for?” stammered Coran grabbing his nose, which luckily didn’t look broken, though it was quite red.

“Sorry I panicked” responded Keith waving his arms around in an overenthusiastic apologetic way. He leapt up, his black hair messy, but his grey eyes were wide awake, like he’d been shot with two pumps of coffee, rushing over to try and calm the older man.

“Its okay, I probably-“then he remembered what he was there for. “You were with Lance yesterday” and before he even finished what he was saying Keith had launched into an explanation about Lance and the blue marks that had appeared on his cheeks.

“They’re, They almost, well they look, quite like yours, al, altean I mean” Keith stuttered, running a hand through his hair, nervously. Coran thought for a moment he seemed to mull over every option in his head, this was something he had never known before, if it was the only thing that came t mind, he would need more evidence.

“Can you get him to let me see?” the usually rambunctious man, was too calm, and too normal sounding, it put Keith on edge.

“Why ask me, go visit him yourself! He doesn’t listen!” but Keith knew, why when conversation fell to Lance, eyes landed on him. It was common knowledge, his feelings for the Cuban boy were strong. Sometimes he wondered if Lance would ever notice. But everyone had pushed all of Lances problems to him, and called on him to solve his issues.

So Keith found himself returning to the blue boys chambers, this time with a plate of the most bland looking food in existence, and a bundle of blankets under his arm. Hope of perhaps persuading the boy to become less of a skeleton.

As the door slid open, there sat Lance cross-legged on the bed, eyes fixated on Keith, as if he’d been waiting. He waited till Keith had sat down, before lying down, resting his head in the quite confused mullet-headed ones, lap. With one hand lance had dragged Keiths finders to his heading. Almost for it to be stroked. So Keith obliged allowing his hand to play with the short brown hair.

“Lance, I need you to eat!”he whispered, noticing how Lance had already begun to fall into a hapless sleep. The boy shuffled, kicking one of the blankets that covered his feet and pulling it right up to his ears. “Please” pleaded Keith, brushing his thumb along one of Lance’s pear-shaped ears. Lance said nothing, instead he buried his face in Keith’s stomach. There was no reasoning without that boy, he was too stubborn. Not to mention he had already fallen asleep.

Keith hissed, at the thought. He ran ideas through his head. He hated to see Lance this way, he hated that he didn’t know how to fix it. He thought and thought, till his head began to pound, and he removed his hand from the sleeping boy to touch his own forehead.

Funny how that could be the one thing keeping, the Cuban asleep, and when that was broken, he awoke. Looking up at the pained look on Keiths face. Red blood crept its way across his face as he wondered, what it might be like to love the mullet-headed one. To kiss the tender lips, that were wrought into a puzzling look. To run his hands down the thighs he lay open, lance had never thought about Keiths thighs but, now that he lay upon the he noticed they were surprisingly soft. What would it be like to brush his lips upon that chiselled jaw? He twisted slightly, the thought keeping him warmer then the countless blankets covering him.

Could he really have feelings for Keith, and if so, would they be returned.

“Why won’t he eat” voiced Keith, speaking his mind again, forgetting he was not alone. “I can’t see him this way, and I told Coran, he could come after Lance ate. Oh what if he dies. I don’t think I can handle that. I can’t lose him. I’ll never get to say I love you”.

And that answered Lance’s question, but instead of speaking or accepting the confession, he pretended to be asleep. Crossing his legs tightly and trying to hide the annoying blush that graced his cheeks. But when Keith had stopped talking, and it didn’t seem too suspicious anymore Lance spoke.

“Y.. cough cough You, cough want me” he had to stop and catch his breath “to eat”. His voice was hoarse, and shaky, worn out but filled with hope. “I-“

“Don’t speak, just” Keith handed him the plate. “eat please”. The food, tasted like nothing, but all while he took it bite by bite, Lance smiled, a goofy grin on his face, like a lovesick puppy. But Allura not even a month ago they had been kissing, but then with what she had said and everything, it didn’t seem to bad to consider the boy who loved him.

That smile must have been contagious because Keith was smiling too. The look didn’t suit him much. That thin line that stretched across his whole face, and shone like a lightbulb. It was a look Lance wanted to see more.

“Oh if you can handle it, Coran wants to see you” Keith didn’t want to push him, but he felt he had too. His smile fading, because he could feel the food rising back up his throat and he wanted Keith to leave, so he wouldn’t see, what Lance knew was about to happen. He nodded. “Then I’ll be right back just wait here”, Keith stood nearly hitting his knee against the back of Lances head. Then he was gone the door slamming shut behind him.

Lance moved faster than he ever had before, dashing over to the bathroom, and tilting his head over the toilet. The food hadn’t stayed down very long, poor Lance was still throwing up, when Keith came back with Coran. Keith didn’t know what to do, neither did Coran, but it was over soon enough, and after Lance had brushed his teeth, he looked at them both expectantly.

“Lets see then” yelped Coran grabbing a hold of Lance’s face and peering at the marks. “Well these are peculiar indeed very indeed “He pressed on them and Lance winced, grabbing a hold of Keith’s hand in panic. “They hurt, they’ve been burning you haven’t they, that’s why you’ve been in here. How are you even alive still? I’m surprised you haven’t disappeared. How did Allura know?”

“cough Know what?” asked Lance, crushing Keiths hand every time a finger brushed over one of the marks.

“you didn’t tell him?!”

“Well I was trying to keep conversation stress free!” glared Keith.

“Altea’s returned and it seems from looking at you Allura left an heir, my Prince” and Coran bowed, hitting his head upon the bed Lance was sitting in. “I’ll have to get you something to handle the pain, your body can’t handle all that magic, it’ll need time”. Then he turned to Keith. “I’ll need to speak with Shiro we’ve got to go somewhere, out of the way”

“I’ll get him right away” Keith turned too leave but Lance was still holding his hand, and as far as it looked, he had no intention of letting go. “Lance? I need to go get Shiro, so we can get you medicine, please let go, Coran will stop touching them” at that Coran’s hands fell to his side, and he shuffled away.

“On second note I’ll just go myself, I’d give better directions anyway” he ran away as fast as he possibly could. Leaving behind a cloud of dust.

 Keith sat down, staring at the hands enclosed. Then they were gone. Lance had disappeared like that, and Keith was staring at his empty hand. What? That wasn’t normal, but he didn’t have much time to think because Lance popped back into the room, except this time he wasn’t next to Keith anymore instead he was on top of him. Straddling him in fact. Good thing Lance looked equally as confused.

Their lips were breaths away then they weren’t because Lance had closed the gap almost seamlessly. It was short and brief, but the moment after seemed to last forever, bated breath, and goofy grins, like time had stopped to let the two breathe in bliss. The only sound was the pounding in Lance’s head.

For the next few days, Keith barely left Lance’s room except to get food and a change of clothes. He kept trying to coax Lance time, but every time the food would always come back again. All Keith could do was sit beside him and rub his hunched over back. It was repetitive. Every time Lance woke up screaming, Keith was there to wrap him in his arms, and aimlessly play with his hair till he fell asleep. Keith found far too many things to talk about, coaxing words out of Lance till he almost could say complete sentences. Yet still Keith worried, for Lance only worsened, he only got skinnier, and the warping only got more frequent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Lance sweetie what thoughts dot your mind

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first time writing fanfiction, but I couldn't stop my mind from wondering after season 8. Hope you enjoy it.  
> Lee


End file.
